FORTY-FIVE jobs will be lost with the closure of Newton Abbot's tax office.

The closure of the Sherborne House office was announced as part of a controversial restructuring programme by HM Revenue and Customs.

Some 45 of the 61 staff in the town have been offered voluntary redundancy.

Union boss Peter Telford said the staff under threat felt "disappointed, shocked and stunned" by the plan.

Mr Telford, branch secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "This closure is increasing the dole queue with those who can tackle the tax evasion issue."

Sherborne House is among 130 tax offices which will close in March next year as part of the restructuring.

In total, the move affects 1,700 staff nationwide.

The move has been criticised by Lib Dem MP Richard Younger-Ross.

Meanwhile, Mr Telford was at a loss to understand how it had been put forward as a sensible idea.

He said: "It makes no sense whatsoever, particularly when we are still feeling the effects of a recession."

Although the offices are set to close, he said tax advisers would still be available — in locations yet to be identified.

He said: "The job cuts could mean a lack of back-up cover and the knock-on effect could be that the service may be closed at certain times of the day."